16870 Federal Register / Vol. 72, No. 65 / Thursday, April 5, 2007 / Notices 

1Although 49 CFR 393.23 indicates that these 

drivers could obtain a Nonresident CDL, few States 

are currently issuing Nonresident CDLs due to 

security concerns. 

Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) 

Title: Competition Plans, Passenger 

Facility Charges. 

Type of Request: Revision of a 

currently approved collection. 

OMB Control Number: 2120–0661. 

Form(s): There are no FAA forms 

associated with this collection. 

Affected Public: An estimated 40 

Respondents. 

Frequency: This information is 

collected on occasion. 

Estimated Average Burden Per 

Response: Approximately 136 hours per 

response. 

Estimated Annual Burden Hours: An 

estimated 680 hours annually. 

Abstract: This information is needed 

to meet the requirements of Title 49, 

Section 40117(k), Competition Plans, 

and to carry out a passenger facility 

charge application. No Passenger 

Facility Charge (PFC) may be approved 

for a covered airport and no Airport 

Improvement Program (AIP) grant 

maybe made for a covered airport 

without unless the airport has submitted 

a written competition plan in 

accordance with the statute. The 

affected public includes public agencies 

controlling medium or large hub 

airports. 

ADDRESSES: Interested persons are 

invited to submit written comments on 

the proposed information collection to 

the Office of Information and Regulatory 

Affairs, Office of Management and 

Budget. Comments should be addressed 

to Nathan Lesser, Desk Officer, 

Department of Transportation/FAA, and 

sent via electronic mail to 

oir_submission@omb.eop.gov or faxed to 

(202) 395–6974. 

Comments are invited on: Whether 

the proposed collection of information 

is necessary for the proper performance 

of the functions of the Department, 

including whether the information will 

have practical utility; the accuracy of 

the Department’s estimates of the 

burden of the proposed information 

collection; ways to enhance the quality, 

utility, and clarity of the information to 

be collected; and ways to minimize the 

burden of the collection of information 

on respondents, including the use of 

automated collection techniques or 

other forms of information technology. 

Dated: Issued in Washington, DC, on 

March 29, 2007. 

Carla Mauney, 

FAA Information Collection Clearance 

Officer, Strategy and Investment Analysis 

Division, AIO–20. 

[FR Doc. 07–1665 Filed 4–4–07; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4910–13–M 

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION 

Federal Motor Carrier Safety 

Administration 

[FMCSA Docket No. FMCSA–2003–25290] 

Commercial Driver’s License (CDL) 

Standards; Isuzu Motors America, 

Inc.’s Exemption Application 

AGENCY: Federal Motor Carrier Safety 

Administration (FMCSA), DOT. 

ACTION: Notice of final disposition; 

granting of application for exemption. 

SUMMARY: FMCSA announces its 

decision to approve Isuzu Motors 

America, Inc.’s (Isuzu) application for 

an exemption for 76 of its drivers to 

enable them to test-drive commercial 

motor vehicles (CMVs) in the United 

States without a commercial driver’s 

license (CDL) issued by one of the 

States. The Isuzu CMVs are prototypes 

that require testing under U.S. climatic 

conditions prior to being placed on the 

U.S. market. Each of these drivers holds 

a CDL issued in Japan, but lacks the U.S. 

residency necessary to obtain a CDL 

issued by one of the States of the United 

States. FMCSA believes the knowledge 

and skills testing and training program 

that drivers must undergo to obtain a 

Japanese CDL ensures that these drivers 

will achieve a level of safety that is 

equivalent to, or greater than, the level 

of safety achieved without the 

exemption. 

DATES: This decision is effective April 5, 

2007. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr. 

Thomas Yager, Chief, Driver and Carrier 

Operations Division, Office of Bus and 

Truck Standards and Operations, MC–

PSD, Federal Motor Carrier Safety 

Administration, 400 Seventh Street, 

SW., Washington, DC 20590–0001. 

Telephone: 202–366–4009. E-mail: 

MCPSD@dot.gov. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Background 

Under 49 U.S.C. 31315 and 31136(e), 

FMCSA may grant an exemption from 

the CDL requirements in 49 CFR 383.23 

for a two-year period if it finds ‘‘such 

exemption would likely achieve a level 

of safety that is equivalent to, or greater 

than, the level that would be achieved 

absent such exemption’’ (49 CFR 

381.305 (a)). FMCSA has evaluated 

Isuzu’s application on its merits and 

decided to grant the exemption for 76 of 

Isuzu’s engineers and technicians for a 

two-year period. 

Isuzu Application for an Exemption 

Isuzu applied for an exemption from 

the requirement that the operator of a 

CMV obtain a CDL, specifically 49 CFR 

383.23. This section of the Federal 

Motor Carrier Safety Regulations 

(FMCSRs) sets forth the standards that 

States must employ in issuing CDLs to 

drivers operating in commerce. In the 

United States, an individual must be a 

resident of a State in order to qualify for 

a CDL; 1 the Isuzu drivers for whom this 

exemption is sought are all residents of 

Japan. A copy of the request for 

exemption from section 383.23 is in the 

docket identified at the beginning of this 

notice. 

Japanese Drivers 

This exemption enables the following 

drivers to test-drive CMVs in the U.S.: 

Aihara Hirokazu, Akira Iiduka, Akira 

Yoshino, Atsushi Hirotsu, Atsushi 

Yamazaki, Chito Agatsuma, Fuki 

Yokoyama, Fumiaki Kubo, Fumiaki 

Takei, Fuyuki Hamanaka, Go 

Shinozuka, Hideki Shibata, Hiroaki 

Kurata, Hiroaki Takahashi, Hiromasa 

Narita, Hiroshi Osada, Hiroyoshi 

Morohoshi, Hisashi Hashiguchi, Ichirou 

Watanabe, Jirou Arai, Junichi Yamada, 

Jyunichi Suda, Kakuya Sekimoto, 

Kazuhiro Itou, Kazuhiro Teraguchi, 

Kazuyoshi Tateishi, Ken Ueda, Kenji 

Takashima, Kiyoaki Nokura, Kiyoshi 

Toshima, Kohki Natsumi, Manabu 

Andou, Masaaki Toriyama, Masahiko 

Gotou, Masahito Katou, Masayuki 

Tanaka, Minoru Endou, Misturu 

Denpouy, Mitsugu Sugiura, Motoyuki 

Kamo, Naoki Morimoto, Naomi Uchida, 

Naoyuki Itou, Noboru Azuma, Nobuhisa 

Okuda, Nobuyuki Iwao, Ryo Sato, 

Ryouji Matsuzawa, Satoshi Yatomi, 

Shigeo Shimada, Shinya Ishida, Syouji 

Takahashi, Tadao Shibuya, Tadashi 

Shoda, Takahiro Maemoto, Takashi 

Oguma, Takatomo Omukai, Takauki 

Asaoka, Takayuki Kaneda, Takeshi 

Kamei, Tatsumi Wakamori, Tatsuya 

Kawase, Tatsuya Sakata, Tetsuji 

Oshima, Tetuya Hiromatsu, Toshiaki 

Shimizu, Toshihiko Sudo, Tsuchida 

Minoru, Tsugio Fujita, Yasuhiro Sakai, 

Yasuo Tamamoto, Yasuyuki Fujita, 

Yoshiaki Miyamoto, Yoshinori Kunieda, 

Yoshinori Ugai and Youcihi Kurita. 

Collectively, these drivers form a team 

of engineers and technicians. Isuzu 

currently employs these drivers in 

Japan, and wants them to be able to 

operate CMVs in the U.S. for the 

purpose of testing and evaluating 

production and prototype Isuzu CMVs 


jlentini on PROD1PC65 with NOTICES
Federal Register / Vol. 72, No. 65 / Thursday, April 5, 2007 / Notices 16871 

to be sold for use on U.S. highways. The 

drivers are experienced CMV operators 

with valid Japanese-issued CDLs. 

Because each of the drivers was 

required to satisfy strict CDL testing 

standards in Japan to obtain a CDL, and 

has extensive training and experience 

operating CMVs, Isuzu believes that the 

exemption will maintain a level of 

safety equivalent to the level of safety 

that would be obtained absent the 

exemption. 

Method To Ensure an Equivalent or 

Greater Level of Safety 

Drivers in Japan must hold a 

conventional driver’s license for at least 

three years before applying to obtain a 

Japanese-issued CDL. At that point, they 

must take and pass both a knowledge 

test and a skills test in order to obtain 

a license to operate CMVs. These tests 

thoroughly assess the driver’s ability to 

operate a CMV, and are comparable to 

the tests administered to CDL applicants 

in the United States. Once a driver is 

granted a Japanese CDL, he or she is 

allowed to drive any CMV currently 

allowed on Japanese roads. There are no 

limits to types or weights of vehicles 

that may be operated by the drivers. 

Therefore, the process for obtaining a 

Japanese-issued CDL is considered to be 

comparable to, or as effective as, the 

requirements of 49 CFR part 383. 

Comments 

The Agency received one comment in 

response to its request for public 

comments (71 FR 42170, July 25, 2006). 

The commenter recommended that 

Isuzu use U.S. drivers for this testing. 

The commenter did not provide a 

substantive basis for this opinion. The 

docket number of this matter is 

referenced at the beginning of this 

notice. 

FMCSA Decision 

The FMCSA decision to grant these 

drivers an exemption from section 

383.23 is based on the merits of the 

application for exemption, the rigorous 

knowledge and skills testing of Japanese 

drivers concerning the safe operation of 

CMVs, and consideration of the 

comment submitted in response to the 

public notice. 

Terms and Conditions for the 

Exemption 

After considering the comment to the 

docket and based upon evaluation of the 

application for an exemption, FMCSA 

grants Isuzu an exemption from the 

Federal commercial driver’s license 

requirement in 49 CFR 383.23 for 76 

drivers, identified under the ‘‘Japanese 

Drivers’’ heading above, to test-drive 

CMVs within the United States, subject 

to the following terms and conditions: 

(1) That these drivers will be subject to 

drug and alcohol regulations, including 

testing, as provided in 49 CFR part 382, 

(2) that these drivers are subject to the 

same driver disqualification rules under 

49 CFR parts 383 and 391 that apply to 

other CMV drivers in the U.S., (3) that 

these drivers keep a copy of the 

exemption on the vehicle at all times, 

(4) that Isuzu notify FMCSA in writing 

of any accident, as defined in 49 CFR 

390.5, involving one of the exempted 

drivers, and (5) that Isuzu notify 

FMCSA in writing if any driver is 

convicted of a disqualifying offense 

described in section 383.51 or 391.15 of 

the FMCSRs. 

In accordance with 49 U.S.C. 31315 

and 31136(e), the exemption will be 

valid for 2 years unless revoked earlier 

by the FMCSA. The exemption will be 

revoked if: (1) The drivers for Isuzu fail 

to comply with the terms and 

conditions of the exemption; (2) the 

exemption has resulted in a lower level 

of safety than was maintained before it 

was granted; or (3) continuation of the 

exemption would not be consistent with 

the goals and objectives of 49 U.S.C. 

31315 and 31136. 

Issued on: March 30, 2007. 

John H. Hill, 

Administrator. 

[FR Doc. E7–6240 Filed 4–4–07; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4910–EX–P 

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION 

Maritime Administration 

Reports, Forms and Recordkeeping 

Requirements; Agency Information 

Collection Activity Under OMB Review 

AGENCY: Maritime Administration, DOT. 

ACTION: Notice and request for 

comments. 

SUMMARY: In compliance with the 

Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (44 

U.S.C. 3501 et seq.), this notice 

announces that the information 

collection abstracted below has been 

forwarded to the Office of Management 

and Budget (OMB) for review and 

approval. The nature of the information 

collection is described as well as its 

expected burden. The Federal Register 

Notice with a 60-day comment period 

soliciting comments on the following 

collection of information was published 

on January 3, 2007. No comments were 

received. 

DATES: Comments must be submitted on 

or before May 7, 2007. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Thomas Christensen, Maritime 

Administration, 400 7th Street, SW., 

Washington, DC 20590. Telephone: 

(202) 366–5900, FAX: (202) 488–0941 or 

E-Mail: tom.christensen@dot.gov. Copies 

of this collection also can be obtained 

from that office. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Maritime 

Administration (MARAD). 

Title: Voluntary Tanker Agreement. 

OMB Control Number: 2133–0505. 

Type of Request: Extension of 

currently approved collection. 

Affected Public: Owners of tanker 

companies who operate in international 

trade and who have agreed to 

participate in this agreement. 

Forms: None. 

Abstract: The collection consists of a 

request from MARAD that each 

participant in the Voluntary Tanker 

Agreement submit a list of the names of 

ships owned, chartered, or contracted 

for by the participant, and their size and 

flags of registry. There is no prescribed 

format for this information. 

Annual Estimated Burden Hours: 

Fifteen hours (one hour per respondent). 

Addressee: Send comments to the 

Office of Information and Regulatory 

Affairs, Office of Management and 

Budget, 725 17th Street, NW., 

Washington, DC 20503, Attention: 

MARAD Desk Officer. 

Comments Are Invited On: Whether 

the proposed collection of information 

is necessary for the proper performance 

of the functions of the agency, including 

whether the information will have 

practical utility; the accuracy of the 

agency’s estimate of the burden of the 

proposed information collection; ways 

to enhance the quality, utility and 

clarity of the information to be 

collected; and ways to minimize the 

burden of the collection of information 

on respondents, including the use of 

automated collection techniques or 

other forms of information technology. 

A comment to OMB is best assured of 

having its full effect if OMB receives it 

within 30 days of publication. 

Issued in Washington, DC on March 21, 

2007. 

Daron T. Threet, 

Secretary, Maritime Administration. 

[FR Doc. E7–6309 Filed 4–4–07; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4910–81–P 


jlentini on PROD1PC65 with NOTICES